Push-key combination padlock



July 31, 1923.

1,463,230 0. J. soumss PUSH KEY COMBINATION PADLOCK Filed Sept; 13, 1920[nvenlor Patented July 31, 1923.

crrnsrnn :r. SQUIRES, or eALEsBUe rNoIs.

To all 10 hom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHESTER J S UIRES, a citizen of the United States,residing at Galesburg, in the county of Knox and State of Illinois, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Push-Key Combination Padlocks ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in push-keycombination padlocks, the object of which is to provide a padlock thatcan be locked or unlocked by sight or by touch, in daylight or darkness,without the necessity of carrying a key for that purpose. r

v I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a front view of the lock bodywith a dot-ted line showing the position of the co-operating member whenthe lock is assembled. Fig. 2 is a side View of the lock body. Fig. 3 isa front view of the co-operating member. Fig. 4 is a sideview of thesame. Fig. 5 is a section through line AB of Fig. 1, assuming that acomplete lock I has been assembled. Fig. 6 is side view of one of thepush keys.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views. I

l is the body of my improved padlock,

and consists oftwo parallel, circular disks spaced apart in axialalignment and securely held in said relation by being made integral witha single shackle arm and thus integral with each other. 2 is aco-operating lock member consisting of a second shackle arm integralwith a ring whose outsidediameter corresponds with the outside diameterofthe disks of body 1 and whose thickness permits it to be insertedbetween said disks and to be mounted for partial revolution in saidrelation thereto. I

The disks of lock body 1 are provided with radially extendingrectangular slotted holes 9 all of identical size and shape, placed at auniform distance from the disk axis and arranged in anequally spacedcircular series, each slot 9 in either of the disks'being in exactalignment with a corresponding slot 9 in the other disk. 1 I v The ringor look member 2 is of such depth that, when placed in operativeposition between the'disks of body 1, and with the inner edge of saidring intact, a determined portion,- say two-thirds, of the outer end ofPUSH-KEY COMBINATION PADLOCK."

Application filed September 13, 1920. Serial No; 409,870.

each slot 9 is thereby closed. However the inner edge of the ring orlook member 2 is not left intact but is provided with a series ofnotches 3, equal in number to the series of slots 9, and s0 located thateach of said notches 3 registers with a slot 9 when the ends of the twoshackle arms are in engagement with each other, the depth of said Theinner edge of the ring of lock member 2 is also provided with notches 4,preferably two in number and located at diametrically opposite parts ofsaid ring. Each of these is placed between adjacent notches 3 and ismade of such depth that when a notch 4 is caused to register withslot-9, said slot 9 is opened to its full size. At the same time theother notch 4 will also 'register'with a slot 9 providing a full sizedopening at thatpoint. I I

4 The shackle arms of body 1 and co-opcrating lock member2 being soplacedas to permit more than one half of a revolution of member 2 withrelation to body 1, it'is evident that each of the'notches 4 in member 2may be caused to successively register with half or more of the seriesofslots 9 in body 1. the two notches 4- thus providing forthe opening ofall of the slots 9.v

Push-keys 6 are provided; one for each slot 9. These keys are allidentical. key 6 has in one of its edges a notch 7, a portion of whichis cutdeeper than the remainder leaving a projecting corner8' in saidnotch 7 A p ng, coil, is placed in theposition as shown in Fig. 3.. andFig. 5. It presses against the inner edge of the push-keys, 6, and isused as a means of retaining said keys in the position in which theyhavebeen placed. 7

The assembling of the parts thus described is accomplished as followsLock member 2 and spring 5,'are first inserted between the disks'ofbody 1. They are then so adjusted that each notch 4 registers "105 beingturned outward. The deeper portion "110 5, which maybe-only a single ofnotch 7 of each key 6, as inserted, is made to register with .theispacebetween the disks of body 1 and the; depth :ofrsaid portion'of notch 7having been gauged to permit the passage of the unnotched po-rtion ofthe inner edge of ring of 'm'ember'2,'said member 2 is then turned untilother slots.9 register with notches 4, and keys 6 are inserted as justexplained. This is continued until all of slots 9 have been filled withkeys 6.

{It will be'iunderstood that keys 6, when in this position securelyretain body 1 and member ,2 in operative arelation, permitting [the-endsof theinshackle arms to be caused tto engage each *otheror to be drawnapart, and that keys-6 providea series of bearing points ,for the ringof unember 2,.permitting the revolution of said ring with relation toabOd-y 1 to fiche-extent allowed by theshackle ianms.

After pushs-keys 6 have Zbeen inserted, as explained, the ends ofthe-shackle arms on body 1 and member Qenay be caused toengage eachother. VVitlrthe parts in this relation, any {or all of the keys 6 .maybe shifted causing gprojectingicorner-8 of each key; shifted to enternotch '23 in the ring .of :n'iember:2,'effectually locking the entirede- KVIGB; r

Ifialliof the push keys 6aare inserted with :the end znearest to .thedeeper portion of match 7;=ef each key 6 toward the backof i10Qk1b0dy1,:thepaIitS will be -.unlocked when ever the ends of all the keys 6 areeven with the ..-back. surface of body 1 and will be l ck d whenever:one =or any .number of said ends ofikeys (S-extends beyond said backsurface. But this arrangementofkeys 6 would :make .it too :easy tounlock, it being merely TQ QUGSblOllyOf pushing keys 61as far as theywill go,'zall:in-.onedirection.

. :But instead -.of arranging keys 6 in this manner, suppose that, forinstance, three of them, say those :occupying slots Nos. 2, 5, and, 7arereversed so :as to have their ends even with the frontzas theirunlocked position Then, as will :be readily understood, it will :beabsolutely necessary to know which way to push each key for unlocking.

.Itis evident that the 1 arrangement'of keys '6 may be varied anindefinite number of :times ;a-siany;:one any two, "any three, anyQfoumor-any :five, i-fthere are ten in all, .be setto leepushed-in-one-direction for unlocking, ,while all [the others must be pushedffthe-O-QPOSite direction. This makes it practically impossihle'iforanyone, even the mostexpertgto open the lock without knowgrthecombination. r 7;. Ell-he arrangement of the combination ef 16YS -6 nnaybe changed =as often as desired. .Any one .ofrsa-id keys imaybetremovedwhen ever 1the parts are flln-lOGkGd by pressing .on theend =of'ithe=.ke v to be changed which (is ,even (with the surface ofilock body 1and at same time turning member 2 until the key pressed .upon enters anotch 1 of said member 2. That they may then be withdrawn from its slot9 and replaced in reverse position. If desired all keys 6 may bewithdrawn 'successivelyan d left out, disconnecting memberfl from body1.

I have entered into a detailed description of the construction .andrelative arrange- :claim and desire to secure by Letters Pat- -ent is'1. In 221 device of the character described, a lock bodycomprisingtwoparallel circular disks, in axial alignment, spaced apartand held in;-said relation-by-shacklearms rigidly attached to a portionof the periphery of both of said disks; a :second shackle arm rigidlyattached to a portion of the pe- :riphery "of an internally =notchedring, said ring having "an :outside diameter substantially the :same .asthat of the body disk and being of a thickness to fit a-revolvab ly be-=tweensaid .disk there being aicircular series "of radiallyex'tendingslots piercing-the two disks of the lock body: and in combination withsaidstructure a push key for each of said slots adapted to be :slidablyinserted therein, each -=of :the said push keys having a notch in itsouter1edge,=-a3part of each of said notches -.being out to. a greaterdepth than the remainder thereof, substantially as described and :forthemurp'ose specified.

2. iPhestructui-e specified incla-im Leach of said push keys beinganexact duplicate of each of -.the others and all being interchangeableand i reversible.

3. The structure specified in claim 1, the "ring attached to said secondshackle arm being made sot-such internal diameter as to fit looselyaround said push keys at "the deepest portion of the vnotc'hes thereinprovicled. substantially "as and for the purpose described.

4. The structu-rei-specified in claim 3 the internal notches in saidring being equal in number to the slets in the lockbody and registeringthere-with when the ends of the shackle arms engage each otherpsa idnotches being of suitable depth to receive the lessdeeply-i-notchediportion ofithe push-keys. but not permitting "thepassage efthe heads ief said push-keys. V

5. The :structure specified in claim 4.,

ELM)

said ring being provided with two additional notches in its inner edge,each of said additional notches being between two of the first mentionedring notches and being of suflicient size to permit the insertion orwithdrawal of a push key in any of the body slots with which saidadditional ring notch is manually caused to register.

6. The structure specified in claim 1, and in combination therewith, aspring enclosed between said body disks and adapted to press outwardagainst the inner edges of said series of push keys and thereby holdthem steady for manual op eration.

7. In a combination padlock, two shackle members, one mounted on a pairof axially aligned, parallel, circular disks spaced apart; and the othermounted on a ring adapted for limited rotation between said disks: and,in combinative association therewith, a circular series of'push keys,mounted in said disks and ring, concentrically with the common axis ofsame, adapted to prevent the separation of said disks and ring andmanually adjustable to serve as an axle for said rotation of the shacklemounted ring or to prevent said rotation.

8. The structure specified in claim 7, and, in combinative associationtherewith, a spring enclosed between said spaced disks locking andunlocking means consisting of av projecting corner in a notched portionof each push key, said projection being adapted to be manually caused toenter or be withpush keys steady drawn from a corresponding notch in theinner edge of said shackle mounted ring.

11. The structure specified in claim 10, each of said push keysextending beyond the outer surface of one of said disks when in lockingposition and beyond the outer surface of the other disk when inunlocking position, the two ends of all push keys being identical insize and shape.

12. The structure specified in claim 11, each of said push keysbeingreversible and the series of push keys being thereby adapted topermit a large number of permutations.

In testimony whereof I alfix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

CHESTER J. SQUIRES, Witnesses: r

GLADYS DUNswoR'rH, J. H. Losnr.

